MINNEAPOLIS — Hate crimes against Asian Americans have been a problem since the beginning of the pandemic. Partially stemming from rhetoric surrounding the origination of the coronavirus, Asian Americans were recounting stories of attacks and harassment they had endured.
That's until Stop AAPI Hate started collecting information about them.
Now more than a year after the World Health Organization announced the coronavirus' spread as a global pandemic, Stop AAPI Hate released its final numbers in terms of hate crimes against Asian Americans.
The report compiled 3,795 incidents from March 19 of 2020 to February 28 of 2021.
They say over 40% of the victims are Chinese, nearly 15% are Koreans, 8.5% are Vietnamese and nearly 8% are Filipino.
Dr. Russell Jeung, one of the founding members of Stop AAPI Hate said despite the reported figures, the incidents are most likely under reported.
"Surveys show that almost three out of five Asian Americans faced direct racism last year," Dr. Jeung said. "The most concerted number is that seven percent of California experienced racism. That's almost 400,000 people--a 1,000 cases a day-- so it's a pervasive issue.
"We have reports from every 50 states, so you cant minimize this issue that now has reached national proportions," he continued. "And rightfully so, garnered the White House and the Attorney General."
Although the top state for hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders is California-- with nearly 45% of all reports--Minnesota also had 42 incidents and Georgia had 48.
The data also showed that Asian American women were 2.3 times more likely to report hate crimes against them than Asian American men.
And while it's impossible to pinpoint the cause of why the numbers are higher for women, the issue of being fetishized and sexualized could play a role.
"Others perceive Asians as vulnerable, others perceive women as more vulnerable," Dr. Jeung said. "Asian women are doubly targeted. It's not that we're to blame for this victimization; it's not our fault that others fetishize and treat women as objects. So it's true I think the fetishization of Asian American women, treatment of sexualized objects does come into play in this moment."